What is the meaning of spurious correlation?

noun

  • A correlation between two variables (e. G., between the number of electric motors in the home and grades at school) that does not result from any direct relation between them (buying electric motors will not raise grades. but from their relation to other variables).
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). spurious correlation. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/spurious_correlation/definitions/1214981
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "spurious correlation" http://smartdefine.org/spurious_correlation/definitions/1214981 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, spurious correlation, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/spurious_correlation/definitions/1214981>.
MLAWordNet. "spurious correlation" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/spurious_correlation/definitions/1214981>